Target Gallery Welcomes Spring with Avant-Garden Exhibition

Alexandria, VA-Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center will host Avant-Garden, from March 21 through April 27. This exhibition presents contemporary definitions of the garden in both fine art and craft. Mark Leithauser, Senior Curator and Chief of Design at the National Gallery of Art, selected the work in the exhibition. A reception will be held on Thursday, April 10, from 6-9 PM. Mr. Leithauser will give a Juror's Talk starting at 7 PM on that evening. The exhibition, reception, and lecture are free of charge and open to the public.

Nearly 450 works were considered for the exhibition, a number that the juror found a bit daunting. "Making choices about which work to include in the Avant-Garden show was extremely difficult because of the sheer number and the high quality of work submitted," says Leithauser. Ultimately, he chose just a small number of works-37 in all-that represented a broad cross-section of artistic interpretations. In a more traditional vein are works like Alexandria painter Niki Pickett's Poppy Garden, which examines flowers in close detail. Because of what he described as an "amazing array of media" Leithauser also thought it important to represent modern craft in the exhibition. For instance, Nancy Daniels' work Beetle is a brooch made of mixed metals and found objects. Garden furniture, sculpture, photography and fiber art are included as well.

Target Gallery is the national exhibition space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, displaying artwork in all media from artists across the United States and abroad. Located on the ground floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Target is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm and other times by appointment.

Image: Sheep Jones, "Celeriac" Oil on Canvas 36" x 24"

All work in exhibition is for sale. For further information, call Claire Huschle, (Target Gallery Coordinator) 703.838.4565 ext. 4 or email